The Connecticut Humanities has awarded a $25,000 implementation grant to the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum for a new exhibition that will open to the public on Wed., October 14, 2015, with a Gala preview on Saturday, October 10. The exhibit will run through October 30, 2016.
LMMM Chairman of the Board of Trustees Patsy Brescia said, “Once again, we thank all our legislators for making funding available to the CT Humanities for this engaging educational program that will help us highlight and revitalize this National Historic Landmark.”
Interpretations of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, like many other historic house museums, explore the more majestic living spaces and the larger than life accomplishments of their owners. In this new exhibit entitled, The Stairs Below: The Mansion’s Domestic Servants, 1868-1938, the Museum intends to open the Servants’ Quarters of its building to visitors, creating an educational tour and exhibit that will focus on the lives of the people who worked at the Mansion, and whose stories have never been told before. How domestics lived in the Gilded Age and Edwardian eras is a concept that has great resonance with the general public, as seen from the successes of TV dramas such as Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. This exhibit will explore themes such as the immigrant experience, housing, social justice, the role of women, and the multi-faceted relationship between the elite and the working class.
“I am truly excited as this project has been three years in the making,” said LMMM Executive Director Susan Gilgore. “The Board of Trustees and I are very grateful to the Connecticut Humanitiesfor supporting this inspiring, new program with a major implementation grant that will enable the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum to create a powerful and engaging experience for our communities and connect our shared past and American history to present-day themes in a deep, meaningful way.”
The exhibition will be curated by Kathleen Motes Bennewitz, an independent museum consultant and curator for several local and national organizations including the Fairfield Museum, the Bush- Holley House, and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, to name a few.
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year. We bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to express, share and explore ideas in thoughtful and productive ways. From local discussion groups to major exhibitions on important historical events, CTH programs engage, enlighten and educate. Learn more by visiting http://www.cthumanities.org/">www.cthumanities.org.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on tours and programs please email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call 203-838-9799.